Solvent Regulations

This webpage is jointly maintained by Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council

The Background Legislation

European Directives, transposed into Irish law, regulate operational procedures in businesses which use solvents or solvent-containing materials. Such businesses are required to undergo an inspection by an 'Approved Assessor' at regular intervals and to hold a Certificate of Compliance, issued for a fixed duration, by the relevant local authority.

To view these regulations, please click on the relevant links below:

S.I. No. 564/2012 - European Union (Paints, Varnishes, Vehicle Refinishing Products and Activities) Regulations 2012, colloquially known as "The Deco Paints Regulations"

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2012/en/si/0564.html

These Regulations supersede the previous Decorative Paints Regulations (S.I. No. 199 of 2007).

S.I. No. 565/2012 - European Union (Installations and Activities Using Organic Solvents) Regulations 2012, colloquially known as "The Solvents Regulations"

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2012/en/si/0565.html

These Regulations supersede the previous Solvents Regulations (S.I.  No. 454 of 2002).

 

The Types of Undertaking to Which These Regulations Apply

The following business sectors come under the remit of the regulations:

•Dry cleaning;
•Vehicle coating and vehicle refinishing;
•Coil coating;
•Winding wire coating;
•Other coating, including metal, plastic, textile, fabric, film, leather, wood, and paper surfaces;
•Wood impregnation;
•Footwear manufacture;
•Wood and plastic lamination;
•Adhesive coating;
•Rubber conversion;
•Vegetable oil and animal fat extraction and vegetable oil refining activities;
•Manufacturing of pharmaceutical products;
•Manufacturing of coating preparations, varnishes, inks and adhesives;
•Surface cleaning using compounds with risk phrases R45, R46, R49, R60, R61, or R40 and halogenated compounds;
•Other surface cleaning;
•Printing.

Solvent Records -  Undertakings must determine if these regulations apply to their specific operations. Among the considerations are the types and amounts of solvents used over a twelve-month period. At least twelve consecutive months of solvent purchase records are required accordingly to arrive at this determination. If the relevant thresholds have been exceeded, then an undertaking is required to comply.

Dry Cleaners - The Solvents Regulations do not provide any exemptions for the Dry Cleaning sector based on levels of solvents' usage however.  Therefore, all commercial installations (premises) where Dry Cleaning activity occurs are legally obliged to register with the relevant local authority and to obtain a Certificate of Compliance.

It is an offence for any Dry Cleaning installation to operate without a valid Certificate of Compliance, and breaches of the Regulations may incur fines of up to €5,000 on summary conviction in the District Court

Approved Assessors' Panels  - The revised regulations required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set up panels of Approved Assessors to replace the previous inspection regime. 

The following are members of the Approved Assessor's Panel for Dry Cleaning Installations:

The following are members of the Approved Assessor's Panel for Vehicle Refinishing Installations ("Body Shops"):

Role of the Approved Assessor - An installation operator may choose any member from the appropriate Approved Assessors' Panel for inspection purposes and engage them directly to perform the assessment. The Approved Assessor (AA) will review the activity, and produce a report on the level of compliance with the regulations. This report will state if an installation is in general compliance or otherwise and if appropriate, will recommend that the relevant local authority issue a Certificate of Compliance. The report will also record any incidences of major/minor non compliances and any relevant observations vis-a-vis the requirements of the regulations..

Certificate of Compliance - The report must then be submitted to Limerick City Council, together with the completed registration form (this will have been supplied to the applicant by the AA with the report) and a fee of €50 in respect of renewals or €70 in respect of a new Certificate of Compliance (including cases where the previous one had lapsed). On the basis of this documentation, Limerick City Council or Limerick County Council, as appropriate will make a decision on the issue of a Certificate of Compliance for an installation. Failure to obtain a Certificate of Compliance may result in Limerick City Council or Limerick County Council, as appropriate instigating enforcement proceedings under the Air Pollution Act 1987. Local Authorities are now enabled to issue Certificates of Compliance valid for up to three years but this period may be reduced if a local authority has concerns about a specific installation, such as, for example, a failure to renew certificates on time.

A copy of a valid Certificate of Compliance must be displayed in a prominent position at the installation to which it applies.

Annual Self-Assessment Compliance Reports - These reports must be submitted, commencing with a report for the year 2014, from 2015 onwards, regardless of the validity duration of a Certificate of Compliance. Templates for such reports will be issued to Certificate holders in advance. Failure to submit such reports may delay the issue of updated Certificates of Compliance. 

Penalties and Enforcement - The maximum fine for operating an uncertified installation is €5,000, or a term of imprisonment for up to six months, or both. The EPA in conjunction with local authorities is enforcing the provisions of these regulations and it is expected that new legislation will allow for the issue of fixed penalty notices ('spot fines') for any offences specified in the regulations.

Best Practice - To view the EPA's Guidance Document on Best Practice for Dry Cleaning Establishments, please use this link.

http://www.epa.ie/pubs/advice/air/solvents/bestpracticeguidelinesfordrycleaning.html

 

Listings of Current* Holders of Certificates of Compliance

as issued by either Limerick City Council or Limerick County Council 

Certified Dry Cleaning Establishments Updated: Monday, 7 April 2014
Premises Contact Address L1 Address L2 Issued On CoC Issued By Expiry Date
Abbey Cleaners Bernadette Lohan Blackabbey Road Adare 10/02/14 Limerick County Council 09/02/17
Ambassador Dry Cleaning Services Ltd. Seamus Farrar Raheen Industrial Estate Raheen 16/01/14 Limerick County Council 15/01/16
Cryle Cleaners Betty Harnett New Street Abbeyfeale 10/02/14 Limerick County Council 09/02/16
Desmond Dry Cleaners Michael & Anne O'Sullivan Market Place Newcastle West 01/11/13 Limerick County Council 31/10/15
Limerick Laundry & Dry Cleaning Services Dermot Quain Pennywell Road Limerick 27/02/14 Limerick City Council 26/02/16
Mr. Jeeves Dry Cleaners Brian Costelloe & Alfie Micks Unit 2c, The Hurlers Castletroy 28/01/14 Limerick County Council 27/01/17
Progress Dry Cleaners Limited Séamus O'Connell Parnell St Limerick 07/02/13 Limerick City Council 13/02/16
The Washboard Dry Cleaners Kenny Hogan Main Street Rathkeale 06/11/13 Limerick County Council 05/11/14
Uro Dry Cleaners Tom Garry Unit 22 Roxboro SC Roxboro 10/02/14 Limerick City Council 09/02/16

   

Certified Vehicle Refinishing Establishments Updated: Monday, 9 June 2014
Premises Contact Address L1 Address L2 Issued On CoC Issued By Expiry Date
ACE Autobody Ltd. Michael McKeogh Westlink Business Pk. Clondrinagh 13/05/13 Limerick City Council 29/04/16
Align Auto Repair Centre Audrey Cunningham Castlemungret Dock Road 05/03/14 Limerick County Council 04/03/17
Brian Geary Car Sales James Feane Rathkeale Co. Limerick 21/04/14 Limerick County Council 20/04/17
Brian Morris Brian Morris Newtown Clarina 17/01/14 Limerick County Council 15/01/17
Dan Dooley Ltd James Dooley The Cross Knocklong 16/01/14 Limerick County Council 15/01/17
Dermot Kelly Motors Limited Dermot Kelly Garrynderk South Kilmallock 28/02/14 Limerick County Council 27/02/17
Derek Walsh Camper Centre Derek Walsh Court Business Park Kildimo 05/06/14 Limerick City & County Council 04/06/16
Edmond Power Edmond Power Tervoe Clarina 19/11/13 Limerick County Council 18/11/16
Forde Brothers Eugene Forde & Patrick Forde St. Anne's Court, Athlunkard Street Limerick 05/03/14 Limerick City Council 04/03/17
Frank Christie Crash Repairs Frank Christie O'Donoghue Avenue Janesborough 22/05/14 Limerick City Council 21/05/16
Gallahue's Garage Dan Gallahue Anglesboro Kilmallock 27/01/14 Limerick County Council 27/01/17
Halpins Crash Repairs Michael Halpin St. Lelia Street Limerick 15/05/12 Limerick City Council 14/05/14
Hennessy's Garage John Hennessy Cullane Middle Ballylanders 27/01/14 Limerick County Council 26/01/17
John O'Carroll Garage Gotoon Hospital Co. Limerick 05/02/14 Limerick County Council 04/02/16
Keith O'Brien Crash Repairs Ltd Unit 5 Eastlink Business Park Ballysimon Road Co. Limerick 07/05/14 Limerick County Council 06/05/16
Murray Crash Repairs Martin Murray Honeypound Croom 28/02/14 Limerick County Council 27/02/16
NCW Autobody Repairs Philip Madden Unit 6 Station Road Newcastle West 21/10/13 Limerick County Council 20/10/16
Slater Crash Repairs James Slater 11, Old Thomondgate Limerick 05/02/14 Limerick City Council 07/03/16
T.C. Crash Repairs Tony Condon Holycross Rathkeale 07/05/14 Limerick County Council 06/05/16
Ward Bros Kildimo Ltd Con Ward Main St. Kildimo 16/01/14 Limerick County Council 15/01/17
Westlink Accident & Repair Centre Dermot O'Dwyer Westlink Business Pk. Clondrinagh 27/03/13 Limerick City Council 26/03/16

   * - The absence of a particular establishment's details from these listings does not imply automatically, a failure to comply with the regulations. In the event of circumstances or contact details etc. changing, the holder of a Certificate of Compliance should inform either Limerick City Council or Limerick County Council as appropriate so as to ensure that this information is kept up to date.

 

Further Information 

Contact:   Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council (Joint) Pollution Control Department
                 County Hall,
                 Dooradoyle Road
                 DOORADOYLE
                 Co. Limerick
 
                 Tel.: (061) 496 264
                 Fax.: (061) 496 008
                 E-mail: environment@limerick.ie  

 

Website Resources

 (20140609 pog)

Last update:09/06/2014

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